A forum for discussing matters of moment, from a curmudgeonly perspective. (The ideas posted here do not necessarily represent those of any organization with which I am a part). Rude and insulting remarks will not be published, but civil disagreement is welcome.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Silence and Truth

In observing the present state of affairs and of life in general, from a Christian point of view one would have to say: It is a disease. And if I were a physician and someone asked me, “What do you think should be done?” I would answer, “Create silence, bring about silence.” God’s Word cannot be heard, and if in order to be heard in the hullabaloo it must be shouted deafeningly with noisy means, then it is not God’s Word; create silence!

And we humans, we clever fellows, seem to have become sleepless in order to invent every new means to increase noise, to spread noise and insignificance with the greatest possible ease and on the greatest possible scale. Yes, everything has been turned upside down. The means of communication have been perfected, but what is publicized with such hot haste is rubbish. Oh, create silence!--Soren Kierkegaard, “Silence and Solitude,” in Provocations, 372.

3 comments:

This is quite true; thanks for posting it. Even in the moments when people try to give themselves rest from the day-to-day noise and chaos of life, they attempt to "unwind" with yet more noisy meaninglessness. As if acting on instinct, they run to the visual media. Additionally, though lacking in decibels, many books and magazines created for sheer entertainment could easily qualify as noise. To its own detriment, the hyperactive, thrill-addicted and noise-saturated society is also one that has tragically forgotten how to be still and silent.

It is shocking, but commonplace, to hear people say they need to "vegetate" (usually in front of the Great Lobotomizer: TV). Human beings saying they want to reduce themselves to the level of a cabbage or carrot. Amazing.

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About Me

Nothing on this blog represents the position of Denver Seminary. I am a Christian, philosopher, teacher, writer, and preacher, who is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. My most recent of my eleven books is Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith (InterVarsity Press, 2011). I have published ten others, including Truth Decay and On Jesus. I direct the Christian Apologetics and Ethics MA program at Denver Seminary.